“Our Elders Are Waiting”: Nathi Mthethwa’s Family Longs to Bring Him Home to Rest with His Ancestors

As South Africa prepares to welcome home the body of its former minister and ambassador Nathi Mthethwa, his family says their greatest wish is to lay him to rest among his ancestors in KwaZulu-Natal.

In Paris, far from home, the Mthethwa family gathered this week in solemn prayer, a small service at the South African embassy filled with diplomats, candles, and quiet tears. The late ambassador’s son, Mkhululi Mthethwa, spoke softly but firmly about the pain of distance and the deep longing to bring his father home.

“Our elders are waiting,” he said. “They have been devastated, hearing the news from so far away. They just want to bring him home and lay him to rest where he belongs, with our ancestors.”

A family divided by oceans

For the Mthethwas, the days since the ambassador’s death have been filled with disbelief and logistical strain. The tragedy unfolded last week when Ambassador Emmanuel Nkosinathi “Nathi” Mthethwa, 58, fell from the 22nd floor of a hotel in Paris. French authorities are investigating the circumstances of his death, which stunned South Africans and colleagues across the diplomatic corps.

“From the embassy to Dirco, it’s been a long journey just to get this far,” said Mkhululi, expressing gratitude to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation for facilitating his father’s repatriation.

He also thanked his uncle, Dr. Sifiso Buthelezi, for rushing to support the family “in the middle of the night” after the devastating news broke.

“It’s hard to process when your family is scattered across the world,” Mkhululi said. “But that bond we share that closeness is what’s keeping us strong through all this.”

Homecoming and farewell

Ambassador Mthethwa’s remains are scheduled to arrive at OR Tambo International Airport on Friday, before being transported to his hometown of KwaMthethwa, KwaZulu-Natal.

The funeral, set for Sunday, 12 October 2025, will be held in KwaMbonambi, where President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a Special Official Funeral Category 2 in honour of Mthethwa’s decades of public service.

In a statement, presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the funeral will include full ceremonial honours performed by the South African Police Service. The national flag will fly at half-mast from Thursday, 9 October, until the evening of the funeral.

President Ramaphosa also extended his condolences to Mthethwa’s wife, Philisiwe Buthelezi, and both the Mthethwa and Buthelezi families.

“The nation deeply appreciates his years of service and leadership,” Ramaphosa said.

A life of public service

Before his diplomatic posting, Mthethwa spent 15 years in Cabinet, serving as Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Arts and Culture, Police, and Safety and Security. His appointment as South Africa’s ambassador to France in December 2023 marked the next chapter in a long career defined by political involvement and cultural advocacy.

For many South Africans, his legacy is tied to efforts to elevate the arts, celebrate national identity, and protect the creative sector during the pandemic.

In KwaZulu-Natal, community leaders have been preparing to receive him with the respect befitting a son of the soil. One local elder told Isolezwe that preparations have been “heavy on the heart but sacred in duty,” explaining that, in Zulu culture, bringing a person home to rest among their ancestors is a spiritual completion of their journey.

“He belongs with us”

In his emotional address in Paris, Mkhululi described his father as both a leader and a family man who never allowed power to distance him from home.

“If you’ve ever been to one of our family gatherings, you’d see it,” he said. “He loved being surrounded by laughter and stories, that connection has always been our strength.”

Social media has since filled with tributes from former colleagues, artists, and ordinary citizens remembering Mthethwa’s influence.
“Politics aside, Nathi Mthethwa loved this country deeply,” one user wrote on X. “May he find peace among his ancestors.”

As preparations continue for Sunday’s funeral, the mood in KwaZulu-Natal is one of quiet mourning and anticipation. Families in the region understand too well the ache of waiting for loved ones to come home from abroad a journey that, in many ways, feels longer than the distance itself.

“He belongs with us,” said a family spokesperson. “Once he is home, the healing can begin.”

{Source: IOL}

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